Construction Project Manager [Project Manager 1]

State of Ohio; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 92,000 - 132,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ohio Department of Youth Services is seeking a highly skilled Project Manager to lead complex construction, renovation, and major maintenance projects across the agency. This role oversees projects from concept to completion, ensuring compliance with federal and state requirements and serving as a key agency representative.

Responsibilities include project delivery, budgeting, policy compliance, stakeholder engagement, and procurement oversight to support youth services and capital projects

Qualifications

• 3 yrs. exp. in project management with budgeting cost projections.
• Experience with planning, design, development, testing, training, and full-scale implementation.
• 12 mos. exp. in budgeting & cost projections of program/projects.

Responsibilities

• Project Management and Delivery: Manage construction, renovation, and major maintenance projects from planning through closeout; ensure compliance with specifications, requirements, and timelines; monitor progress and adjust plans as needed; develop planning documents and allocate resources.
• Policy and Compliance: Develop policy; direct, implement, and monitor compliance across project activities; interpret federal and state laws related to construction and capital projects; establish procedures for policy adherence.
• Representation and Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as agency representative in public forums and presentations; engage with focus groups and federal partners; participate in Controlling Board meetings and govern capital projects.
• Capital Budgeting, Contractor Oversight, and Procurement: Oversee contractors; develop and monitor capital budgets; supervise building system improvements; manage procurement, bids, and contracts.

Skills

Project Management

Construction Maintenance

Juvenile Corrections

Collaboration

Decision Making

Goal Setting

Priority Setting

Continuous Improvement

Education

2 years post-secondary education in business/public administration/CS/IT/social sciences/health

Job description

Organization

Youth Services - Central Office

Agency Contact Name and Information : [e-mail]

Unposting Date

Aug 31, 2026, 3:59:00 AM

Work Location

William Green Building 30 West Spring Street Columbus 43215-2256

Primary Location

United States of America-OHIO-Franklin County-Columbus

Compensation : $92,310 - $131,893

Schedule

Full-time

Work Hours : M-F Flexible

Union : Exempt from Union

Primary Job Skill

Project Management

Technical Skills : Construction Maintenance, Juvenile Corrections, Project Management

Professional Skills : Collaboration, Decision Making, Goal Setting, Priority Setting, Continuous Improvement

We are transforming and saving lives at DYS! A safer Ohio: one youth, one family and one community at a time. About Us…

The Ohio Department of Youth Services strives to save and transform the lives of youth throughout the state of Ohio. Our employees work together to support youth and empower families and communities. In addition to our three juvenile corrections facilities, we support more than 600 community programs reaching more than 90,000 youth across the state.

• Demonstrate staff are our greatest resource
• Treat everyone with respect
• Cultivate a trauma responsive environment for staff and youth to thrive
• Provide the best support and services for youth and families
• Advance our culture of inclusion through understanding and appreciating staff and youth differences
• Commit to and encourage collaboration and continuous improvement to produce better outcomes for those we serve
• Celebrate collective successes and support one another through opportunities to improve

Job Description

The Opportunity: We are seeking a highly skilled Project Manager to lead complex construction, renovation, and major maintenance projects across our agency. This role oversees projects from concept through completion, ensures compliance with federal and state requirements, and serves as a key representative for the agency.

Core Responsibilities

Project Management and Delivery

• Manage assigned construction, renovation, and major maintenance projects, including sub-projects, from planning through closeout
• Direct project delivery and ensure compliance with specifications, requirements, and timelines
• Monitor project progress and modify plans as needed to meet end-user needs
• Review general design documents, evaluate risks, define project requirements, and ensure deliverables meet quality and readiness benchmarks for each phase
• Develop or direct development of planning documents including resource allocation and assignment planning
• Define specific work activities needed to achieve project deliverables
• Oversee project implementation schedule

Policy and Compliance

• Assist in developing policy; direct, implement, and monitor compliance across project activities
• Interpret federal and state laws and regulations relevant to construction and capital projects
• Makes recommendations and modifications to facilitate end-user compliance; establish procedures and guidelines for policy adherence

Representation and Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as agency representative in public forums (e.g., focus groups, other state/county agencies, federal partners)
• Provide presentations to educate and train end users
• Represent the agency in Controlling Board meetings for capital, construction, and renovation requests
• Coordinate DYS Capital Governance Board meetings and serve as designee to the Chief Fiscal Officer when required

Capital Budgeting, Contractor Oversight, and Procurement

• Oversee external contractors and construction vendors to ensure performance and compliance
• Develop and monitor capital budgets; approve related expenditures
• Oversee building system replacements, improvements, and new construction activities
• Provide direction to facility maintenance superintendents on complex administrative and operational elements
• Manage and process procurement documents, including developing scopes of work, materials, and product requirements, and establishing selection criteria
• Conduct bidder conferences, lead the evaluation of bids and proposals, and recommend award selections
• Execute valid contracts and manage all procurement activities, including requests for proposals, requests for quotes, requests for information, and invitations to bid

State of Ohio Benefits

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

Qualifications

3 yrs. exp. in project management (i.e., management & development of project/program requirements, design, development, testing/pilot, training & full scale implementation), with experience to be commensurate with project/program &/or position description on file (e.g., specific human service program area, management information sciences, fiscal); and 12 mos. exp. in budgeting & calculating cost projections of program/projects.

Or successful completion of 2 yrs. post‑secondary education majoring in business administration, public administration, computer science/information technology, social science, or health, with major being commensurate with project to be assigned; and 12 mos. exp. in budgeting & calculating cost projections of program/projects.

Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications for Employment noted above.

Job Skills: Project Management

Background Check Notice

The final candidate selected for this position will be required to undergo a pre-employment drug screening and criminal background check that includes results from BCI and FBI, Ohio Department of Public Safety and Ohio Department of Taxation. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration.

Pre-Service Training

All new candidates hired to the Department of Youth Services are required to attend 3 weeks of mandatory, paid training at the Correctional Training Academy in Orient, Ohio. Training Academy hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

DYS Qualifying Employer

DYS is a "qualifying employer" for purposes of the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness [PSLF] program.

Disability Inclusion and ADA

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

Drug-Free Workplace

The State of Ohio is a drug‑free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non‑medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug‑Free Workplace Policy (HR‑39), and as outlined in the posting.